Scared about getting a tooth pulled :(

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CelestialVoices
Posts: 408
Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:30 am
Location: Illinois, USA

Scared about getting a tooth pulled :(

#1 Post by CelestialVoices »

Hi all, I know that I've told you all that I've had my wisdom teeth out last November done by an oral surgeon near me ( he did an EXCELLENT job by the way!), but that was with 3 valiums to calm me at first and then I was put out for it. My dentist who will pull this doesn't use nitrous oxide for safety reasons and will probably only use novacaine on me. Anyone had a tooth pulled with just novacaine to numb them? Just curious.
Thanks in advance!
CV
P.S. I'm not sure what the tooth I am getting pulled is called, but its one of the ones on my lower jaw.
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metalmouth moi
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tooth pulled

#2 Post by metalmouth moi »

Hi Celestial,
Whenever I am nervous or anxious I try to get my mind on another track. Think about something repetitive, and that requires a bit of thought. (I recite the coagulation factor cascade) It may be a poem, Krebs cycle, your family tree ...whatever it takes. Remember , the more you relax, the easier it will be. Good Luck !! Let us know how you make out :D
Moi
metal braces upper and lower May 12/05

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CelestialVoices
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Location: Illinois, USA

#3 Post by CelestialVoices »

Thanks Moi I'll try that, I'll definitely update you all. :)
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johnnys_angel
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Location: Utah,USA

#4 Post by johnnys_angel »

I remember once when my dentist pulled a tooth with just novocaine, and it definitely surprised me (he didn't tell me he was going to-the meanie). It hurt like a pinch and once it was out (maybe two seconds later), it just bled, but no more pain.
Damon 2's top and bottom, BRACED 02/22/04 and REMOVED 08/29/05. Now in bonded retainers (top and bottom) :4 wisdom teeth surgically removed on 12/22/05:

CelestialVoices
Posts: 408
Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:30 am
Location: Illinois, USA

#5 Post by CelestialVoices »

Wow johnnys_angel... that's great to hear about your experience, but what felt like a pinch? the novocaine or the pulling of the tooth? and how much did it bleed?
CV
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johnnys_angel
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#6 Post by johnnys_angel »

(sorry for the late reply!) The novocaine didn't hurt at all because as they were putting it in, it was already doing its job. The actually tooth-pulling hurt like a pinch your little brother would give you. It bled enough that I was told to have cotton in my mouth for the next 2-3 hours, but it ended up only being maybe 45 minutes. I hope this helps :)
Damon 2's top and bottom, BRACED 02/22/04 and REMOVED 08/29/05. Now in bonded retainers (top and bottom) :4 wisdom teeth surgically removed on 12/22/05:

missing_tooth
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#7 Post by missing_tooth »

Having teeth pulled isn't as bad as one might think. I was put out for my wisdom teeth. However I had my baby cainin pulled with just novicain. (sp?) Didn't hurt a bit. The worst part was hearing it being torn away from the gums. Kinda creepy but it was quick.

alexa
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#8 Post by alexa »

I had four bicuspids pulled with just novacaine. The top two were awful and took like an hour to pull because they wound up being double rooted, which meant that they head to actually cut into the gum and get the rest of the roots out and then sew the gums back up. That was awful and I felt like I was going to completely freak out if they didn't let me out of the chair immediately.

But the bottom two, which were taken out about a week or so later came out in like five minutes with minimal discomfort, little bleeding and no need for pain killers afterwards. Most extractions, from what I understand go like my bottom teeth, so don't be scared. It's highly unlikely that you'll have a horrible saga like I had with the upper teeth.

I did decide, however, that when I do get around to getting my impacted wisdom teeth out, I'm being knocked out...no more conscious oral surgical procedures for this mouth! :shock:
Spacers: 1/26/05; 2/6/06; 3/15/06; 4/24/06
4 First Bicuspids removed: 2/2005
Metal Braces, top and bottom: 3/1/05; Debanded 7/26/07
Hawley retainers top and bottom

johnnys_angel
Posts: 466
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Location: Utah,USA

#9 Post by johnnys_angel »

alexa wrote: I did decide, however, that when I do get around to getting my impacted wisdom teeth out, I'm being knocked out...no more conscious oral surgical procedures for this mouth! :shock:
Definitely a good choice!! I opted for the same (being put out), and I am so glad I did. There are some things you just don't want to hear! ("Pass me the bone saw, please.") The anesthesia was absolutely wonderful! They put the IV in, and I was talking to my mom when in the middle of a sentence (maybe twelve seconds after they inserted the needle) I felt really dizzy and tired. That's the last thing I remember before waking up in my parents' bed :)
Damon 2's top and bottom, BRACED 02/22/04 and REMOVED 08/29/05. Now in bonded retainers (top and bottom) :4 wisdom teeth surgically removed on 12/22/05:

samantha_lou
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#10 Post by samantha_lou »

I had my wisdom teeth pulled back in the UK when I was 21, and my dentist referred me to the hospital to be put to sleep as I was a very nervous patient at that time (I went to a very special place called Appledore Clinic in Berkshire, UK - anyone who is nervous should look this place up, they are seriously amazing). I had my referral and first appointment at the hospital in February of 2001, no issues with wisdom teeth, they just needed pulling - none erupted so far.

I scheduled the surgery for that December, my first year of Uni, and I decided to get it taken care of during the Christmas break. However, that summer, who should make their grand entrance?...please make room for upper right - and boy, what a fuss was caused during this eruption. It got so bad, that in September I ended up going back to my dentist in chronic pain with this tooth. Bearing in mind that I had never had a needle anywhere near my mouth, never had a filling or any drilling - the thought of being awake and having a needle and my tooth pulled scared the living daylights out of me.

However, I was in absolute agony with this wisdom tooth - and it needed to come out. I very relunctantly agreed to return the next day, and have Dr Andreas pull this tooth. He assured me that I would feel nothing, the whole philosophy at this practice is pain free dentistry..and true to his word, I felt nothing. He put some gel on my gum first, and I never felt the needle or anything.

We then chatted for around ten minutes, and he then gently poked and prodded and asked if I felt anything - I didn't. He told me to close my eyes and that I would probably hear a cracking sound. Just a couple seconds later I heard the crack, felt a slight pull and it was over. No pain whatsoever, and I couldn't believe I was so worked up about this. I went home, and that evening, I was at pizza hut with my best friend enjoying the best junk food on the planet!! The others were all taken out on schedule in December, and were surgical extractions. Some slight discomfort for a few days afterwards, no major pain or complaints - except for wondering how something so small, could cause so much pain! It really is incredible, those roots must contain some powerful nerves!!

I know its a different experience for everyone, and I'll always work with the patients that come into the office I work at, to make them as comfortable as possible. I actually spent some time with our endodontist and sat in on a root canal with a nervous patient the other day, she was a little uncomfortable during the shot, but afterwards she said to me that was really worked up about the procedure, but it ended up not being anything like she'd imagined and not bad at all. Root canal's tend to have a very bad rep, when most of them are no worse than a getting a filling.

Our office does use Nitrous for nervous patients if its requested, but its a personal choice. I've never had it myself, but I've heard it described as feeling floaty. For surgical extractions sometimes a general anaethetic is the way to go, I certainly went for that option...if the tooth is fully erupted then a local such as novacaine can do the job as the extraction is a far more simple procedure.

Good luck with it though, and if you are anxious, then do talk to both the doctor and even the office manager.
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Rain Man
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wisdom teeth extraction is nothing

#11 Post by Rain Man »

i had 4 wisdom teeth yanked. youre awake one minute, they knock you out, and it seems like two seconds later youre awake again and leaving the clinic.

it was painful for the couple of days following, but nothing that was horribly unexpected.

proflutist
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Maryland

#12 Post by proflutist »

Celestial,

I had two upper bicuspids and two lower cuspids removed a couple weeks ago, and I had only had the novacaine treatment. The tool my dentist used pinched when he gave me the novacaine, but after a few minutes I couldn't feel a thing. My dentist had all my teeth out in ten minutes! The real pain came when I was getting my prescription at the pharmacy, when the novacaine had worn down a bit. But once I had taken a painkiller, and bit down on several packets of gauze (separately) I was all better. Getting teeth removed wasn't as bad as I thought.

Also, it might have helped that I was really perky that morning. :D

Dark_angel
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#13 Post by Dark_angel »

I had four premolars out and a tooth next to my premolars out too with just novacane or whatever they use. I was really nervous and i knew it wouldnt be plesant but it wasnt too bad yeah i felt a little pain when they were injecting me but after that it was pretty pain free except for one of my teeth not being 100% numb and having to have my anaesthetic topped up.

They offered me a general anaesthetic at the hospital but i decided that i didnt want major surgery and just to have it done at my regular dentist.

IF your really nervous try taking your mp3 player and listening to some music while there doing it, it will really help calm you down.

The more nervous you are the more pain you'll feel.
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proflutist
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#14 Post by proflutist »

When I had my extractions, I brought my iPod with me and I totally zoned out while my teeth were being removed. Music is a great distractor for these types of things. :wink:

nimo
Posts: 282
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#15 Post by nimo »

I was just going to suggest bringing an iPod or CD player or something of that sort. :) When I was 17 and going to the dentist for the first time ever I had a ton of dental work to go through, as you can imagine. I don't take shots well. In fact, pain in general is something I'll do almost anything to avoid. I had to get four fillings and two root canals, and I listened to my SPAM every time I went. You'd be amazed at how well mid-nineties grunge music goes with a dental drill. It also made the time seem to go by faster.
Braced on 17 Feb. 2006.
Five teeth extracted on March 9, 2006.
Canine exposure: February 7, 2007
lefort 3 March 7, 2008
TPA April 22, 2008
2 years 7 months in braces
braces off September 17, 2008

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